SEMINAR SERIES: The 'Almost Boleyn' Girls

The Department of History and Politics welcomed Dr Nicola Clarke to discuss The ‘Almost Boleyn’ Girls: the Howard Women 1485-1558.

The Howard dynasty epitomises what we think of as Tudor politics. As dukes of Norfolk, they advised Henry VIII, won the Battle of Flodden in 1513, and put two family members – Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard - on the throne of England.

History assumes that they did this by working together as a tight family unit, a political dynasty like the Clintons or the Milibands; but this ignores the fact that there were many more Howards than these few famous figures. It also ignores the rest of the Howard women.

This paper introduces the mothers and sisters, aunts and grandmothers of our two Howard queens, and explores their often-questionable activities.